Snoring and Sleep Apnea Therapy
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which the individual’s sleep is disrupted multiple times during the night due to shallow breathing or pauses in breathing, causing a drop in the body’s oxygen level. If you wake up just as tired as when you went to bed or feel like your sleep is not refreshing, then you may suffer from sleep apnea. Although sleep apnea may seem more like an annoyance than something serious, it has been linked with multiple other health concerns such as high blood pressure and heart disease, memory problems and early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Daytime drowsiness is also linked to impaired reflexes, hence higher incidence of motor vehicle accidents. It is estimated that 20% of all car crashes and deaths are attributed to untreated or undiagnosed Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea is certainly more than just an annoyance – it is a life and death issue that affects more than 20 million Americans according to American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Dental sleep medicine is an area of dental practice that focuses on the use of oral appliance therapy to treat sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Shafaee is one of the few Dentists in Orange County who is Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. If you think you may suffer from Sleep Apnea or have been having trouble with your CPAP, please call for a consultation to learn more about Oral Appliance therapy.
